Panel Advises More Focus On Grains, Less on Sugar

By MARIAN BURROS

Published: August 12, 2004

The recommendations from the federal advisory panel revising Dietary Guidelines for Americans to help people improve their eating habits play down sugar and emphasize whole grains, two significant changes from the current guidelines, which were issued in 2000.

On the recommendation of the 13-member panel, which held its final meeting yesterday in Washington, sugar has disappeared as a separate entry. Advice on modifying sugar consumption, which had appeared in the previous five editions dating to 1980, has been folded into the overall category of carbohydrates.

For the first time, the guidelines recommend replacing consumption of some refined grains with whole grains, at least three servings a day.

In a specific response to the currently fashionable low carbohydrate diets, the panel said there was no value in using the glycemic index. Instead, it continues to recommend that to maintain weight the number of calories consumed should not exceed the number of calories expended.

The draft of the guideline, which directs government policy for programs like federal school lunches, has placed more emphasis on low-fat milk products and also advises the public to eat two servings of fish a week, especially those high in omega 3 fatty acids to reduce the risk of heart disease. Pregnant and lactating women and small children are advised to avoid eating fish with high mercury content.

Some changes are slight. For example, the recommendation on salt, linked to high blood pressure, has been reduced to 2,300 milligrams (one level teaspoon), from 2,400.

For the first time, the discussion of fat includes advice about transfatty acids, with the recommendation that their consumption be kept below 1 percent of calories a day. Advice about saturated fat and cholesterol remain the same: consumption of saturated fat below 10 percent of calories and of cholesterol below 300 milligrams a day. But a wider range in total fat intake, from 20 percent to 35 percent, has been included along with a greater range in carbohydrate consumption, from 45 percent to 65 percent.

With almost two-thirds of Americans either overweight or obese, the committee extended its advice about exercise. It left in place the recommendation to exercise at least 30 minutes a day but added that to lose weight, and for some, just to maintain weight, 60 minutes of exercise a day was advisable.

The advisory committee's report is expected to be submitted to the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services in about 10 days, with the final guidelines to be issued early next year. And for the first time, the two departments will prepare the guidelines themselves instead of leaving the work to an advisory committee. The food pyramid, which is also being redesigned, will be based on the final guidelines.